Firm files Fuel-Fed fire case against Ford Motor Co.

Our firm has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, on behalf of a young man badly burned and permanently injured when his car burned after a crash. The automobile manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, was aware that the design of the 1993 Ford Crown Victoria driven by the victim, 26-year-old Kevin Deandreas Boykins, was dangerous, presenting a significant risk of post-crash, fuel-fed fires, particularly in rear impacts.

Our client was badly burned in December when his car was struck in the rear by another vehicle. The impact caused the fuel system and gas tank of the Crown Victoria to fail, resulting in the spillage of a large amount of gasoline, which immediately ignited. The young man was severely burned when the passenger compartment of the Ford vehicle was engulfed in flames within seconds.

Ford is well aware that the Crown Victoria has serious design problems that cause it to be extremely unsafe in rear-end collisions. This known fire hazard has caused a number of deaths and severe burn injuries over the years. Ford has elected to put profits over safety and has failed to correct the fuel-fed fire problems caused by its defective design of these vehicles.

The lawsuit seeks to hold Ford accountable for the vehicle’s lack of crashworthiness, and alleges negligence and wantonness. The other driver is also a Defendant in the lawsuit. Rick Morrison, a lawyer in our Products Liability Section, will be the lead lawyer in this case for Mr. Boykins and this writer will assist him.